How can I be a Christian?
The Romans Road is six short passages from Paul’s letter to the Romans. Together they explain what God has done for you and how you can receive it. Take it one step at a time.
- Step 1 of 6
For all have sinned, and fall short of the glory of God;
Romans 3:23Everyone falls short
Sin is more than doing bad things. It is living our own way instead of God’s way. No prayer, ritual, pilgrimage or good deed can make up for it. This is true of every person, in every family and every religion, including the most devout.
- Step 2 of 6
For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
Romans 6:23Sin leads to death, but God offers a gift
What we have earned is separation from God. What God offers instead is eternal life. A gift is not paid for. It is received.
- Step 3 of 6
But God commends his own love toward us, in that while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us.
Romans 5:8God showed his love first
Jesus died on the cross in our place. God did not wait for us to become good enough. He loved us while we were still far from him.
- Step 4 of 6
That if you will confess with your mouth that Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God raised him from the dead, you will be saved. For with the heart one believes resulting in righteousness; and with the mouth confession is made resulting in salvation.
Romans 10:9–10Trust Jesus and call him Lord
Being saved is not joining a new religion or changing your name. It is believing that Jesus died for you and that God raised him from the dead, and trusting him as the Lord of your life.
- Step 5 of 6
For, “Whoever will call on the name of the Lord will be saved.”
Romans 10:13Anyone who calls on him will be saved
Anyone. It does not matter what family you were born into, what you have done or what others would say. God hears everyone who calls to him.
- Step 6 of 6
Being therefore justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ; … There is therefore now no condemnation to those who are in Christ Jesus, who don’t walk according to the flesh, but according to the Spirit.
Romans 5:1; 8:1Peace with God
When you trust Jesus, God declares you right with him. Your sins are forgiven and no condemnation is left. Salvation is a gift you keep, not a reward you have to keep earning.
If you want to give your life to Jesus
There are no special words. God listens to your heart. If it helps, you can pray something like this, quietly and in your own language:
Jesus, I know I have sinned and I cannot save myself. I believe you died for me and that God raised you from the dead. Please forgive me. I trust you as my Lord and Savior. Help me follow you from today. Amen.
If you prayed this and meant it, welcome to God’s family.
Nothing about this depends on how you feel today. God keeps his promise. Here are a few next steps.
Pray with others
Share a request without your name, and believers will pray for you.
Share a prayer request →Hear from others
Stories from believers who also come from Hindu and Muslim families.
Read testimonies →You do not have to tell everyone today
Following Jesus does not mean you must announce it at home, be baptised in public or leave your family right away. Ask God for wisdom about who to tell and when. Many believers begin quietly.
Already believe in Jesus? You can know you are saved.
Being sure does not depend on how you feel on a given day, or on how well you have done. It depends on what Jesus has done and on God’s promise.
God wants you to know, not to wonder.
These things I have written to you who believe in the name of the Son of God, that you may know that you have eternal life, and that you may continue to believe in the name of the Son of God.
1 John 5:13
No one can take you out of his hand.
I give eternal life to them. They will never perish, and no one will snatch them out of my hand.
John 10:28
It rests on God’s grace, not on your works.
For by grace you have been saved through faith, and that not of yourselves; it is the gift of God, not of works, that no one would boast.
Ephesians 2:8–9
Ask yourself one question: am I trusting Jesus, and not my own good deeds, to make me right with God? If the answer is yes, these promises are for you. Doubts are normal. Bring them to God, and keep reading his Word.